Robert Budsock is correct when he states that Paul Mulshine’s Feb. 18 column dismissed the importance of treatment for people who suffer from addiction (Reader Forum, “Mulshine’s miss,” Feb. 21). Scientific research has proved addiction is a disease of the brain and requires medical treatment.

But Budsock also misses the mark when he writes that effective treatment is available. The vast majority of rehabs in New Jersey and across the country use a 12-step approach to treatment that is rooted in religion, not medicine.

Contrary to popular belief, Alcoholics/Narcotics Anonymous fails most people with addictions. Yet we continue to spend billions of dollars using a treatment that doesn’t work — then blame the patients when they relapse.

Addiction needs to be treated by trained doctors — not with a program developed in the 1930s by two middle-aged guys who had alcohol addictions.

When will the treatment community, the medical profession and the insurance companies join together to follow the recommendations of reputable organizations such as CASAColumbia, where scientific researchers have provided a comprehensive blueprint for addictions treatment reform? I hope it’s soon. Because every day, our kids are dying.